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Well anyone that hated the movie is just going to have to deal with it because it was a smashing success overseas and combined with the fact its doing well in the US means you can almost guarantee a 3rd movie helmed by the same people

Cool. I'm curious about what deleted scenes they put on the DVD - that was one issue I had, with some scenes feeling like something was missing (for example, how did Storm-Shadow manage to get back in with Cobra for the end of the movie?), but overall I enjoyed it. Was it a masterpiece? By no means - but I thought it was fun.

There are still half a dozen "major" Joes and a few major Cobras they haven't used yet, which would be prime candidates for the sequel.

Ok, I just got back from seeing the movie and I have to say, I really enjoyed it. Sure it isn't Oscar material and they probably shoulda attempted at least to save London, but everything else was great. I enjoyed the little bit of character development between Duke and Roadblock. I liked the Storm Shadow revelation. Cobra Commander was awesome. The action scenes were intense and well choreographed. I have total faith that the Motu movie will rock if it is done as well as this movie was. Great way to kick off my movie season!

Save London? How about at least acknowledge it after the fact? Or they could have, you know, not blown up a city at all just to outdo the first movie blowing up the Eiffel Tower.

Well in fairness...the President mentioned they'd be helping with the rebuild in his speech at the end. And the obliteration was pretty cool...definitely got the point of the threat across. But it wasn't a make or break for me. I loved the movie, looking forward to the next one, and will get this one on 3d Blu Ray day 1!

Well, finally got a chance to see Joe and i'm not impressed. I'm not saying i hated it but i didn't like it none too much either. I left the cinema feeling like i did when i saw Van Damme's Street Fighter... a film i was happy to forget about. This Joe film will be one to forget about as well. The only real saving grace for me was The Rock and that's pushing it. Not looking forward to the MOTU film if it's gonna be handled like Joe.

I enjoyed the movie. I thought Firefly was a good villian. It definitely felt like a lower budget movie compared to the first. The Storm Shadow revelation was a bit quick. Cobra Commander was a lot better in this film. I like this film better than the first.
As for Zartan:

I was disappointed that he didn't have a bigger fight scene as his regular self at the end and he got disposed of too quickly.

I saw it and I liked it very much. Only a few things I wasn't keen on:

1. Firefly should've kept his mask on. It's a big deal in the classic comics and cartoon that he doesn't let anyone see his face, yet in this movie he's pulling his mask off at every opportunity.

2. Personal gripe but I wish Jinx had a bigger role. What was there was great and I think they did a fine casting choice. I hope she's in the next one and gets to do more.

3. Maybe I missed something, but why did Colton keep calling Lady Jaye Brenda? On that note her real name is supposed to be Allison not Jaye. She's called Lady Jaye because she's a female Joe -a Lady J.

"How I loathe heroes! Always getting in the way and acting so... so... heroic!"

Congrats to Paramount and Hasbro... After just 3 1/2 weeks, Retaliation has made more money than Rise of Cobra made total!

Retaliation has made $322.9M worldwide, easily surpassing RoC's $302M total. And don't forget that Retaliation cost $45M less to make than RoC. That's a major turnaround for a franchise that looked dead in the water. Lots of credit to Chu and the other decision makers in charge of Retaliation.

Cool. I'm curious about what deleted scenes they put on the DVD - that was one issue I had, with some scenes feeling like something was missing (for example, how did Storm-Shadow manage to get back in with Cobra for the end of the movie?)

He simply met them at the rendezvous point. Cobra had no idea that he was working against them. Storm Shadow already knew the plan (or at least enough to be at the world leader meeting) so it's likely the original plan was he'd either lay low or hang out with Cobra Commander until it was time, but when he got injured during the prison break he was sent to heal during the duration period. He would have known where Cobra Commander would be at the time they moved in for the meeting of the world leaders and simply joined him there and then. Cobra Commander had no reason to be suspicious.

And to answer the follow-up question before it's asked; Storm Shadow didn't take out Cobra Commander, because he needed to play along with him in order to get close to Zartan.

There are still half a dozen "major" Joes and a few major Cobras they haven't used yet, which would be prime candidates for the sequel.

Some were shown in the opening narration as the camera pulled back and all those profile pictures flew by. Most zipped by too quick to see but I clearly made out Major Bludd.

"How I loathe heroes! Always getting in the way and acting so... so... heroic!"

I have seen it regular and in 3D. One of the best if not the best movies I have ever seen. Major Bludd has always been a favorite Cobra of mine, so I hope to see him in the next one. I figure Destro will be in it for sure, then you have Tomax and Xamot...hard pressed to think of any other MAJOR Cobra players....

For the Joes....lets see. Shipwreck, Falcon, Gung-Ho, Beach Head, Stalker.....hard to tell which few will be picked because I am sure Flint, Lady Jaye, Roadblock, Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow will return....

So what’s the general consensus on Jon Chu taking on a MOTU film? Yay or nay?

Yay for me. While the film isn't Citizen Kane and Chu isn't a perfect director, he saved G.I. Joe, a line that was on life support due to the negativity surrounding the prior flick, Rise of COBRA. Now G.I. Joe is getting a third movie, which allows for more toys and more public visibility.

Some fans want the Godfather with furry loincloths, but this is a movie promoting action figures. I think while the former would be nice, a MOTU flick needs to be able to make the brand visible to casual fans and keep public interest in those characters constant. Chu proved that he could do that. Not only that, he's appeared on a G.I. Joe podcast (maybe it was What's on Joe Mind?) after the movie premiered and answered fan questions about his intentions. Imagine if he did that with RGD? Or Council of the First Ones? Global Masters?

GI Joe doesn't need to be Citizen Kane (not sure how you got that comparison though, as I would say Lawrence of Arabia would have been more legitimate because there are at least soldiers in it, and CK is good, but not THAT good), it just needs to be competent, well written, good characters, and not rely on stupid plots to be good.

Can someone PM me the US number for Matty? I want to talk to someone who might has a clue of what is going on.

GI Joe doesn't need to be Citizen Kane (not sure how you got that comparison though, as I would say Lawrence of Arabia would have been more legitimate because there are at least soldiers in it, and CK is good, but not THAT good), it just needs to be competent, well written, good characters, and not rely on stupid plots to be good.

That's what we all would like, but to be blunt, the movie is selling toys. It's never going to win an Oscar for best picture, but hopefully Chu could make it a fun popcorn movie.

David Elliot and Paul Lovett, two of the credited screenwriters on the 2009 film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, have filed a massive lawsuit against Paramount, MGM, Hasbro and producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura.

At issue is the sequel, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, which came out in March and grossed nearly $120 million in domestic box office.

According to a complaint filed in California federal court late last week and obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Elliot and Lovett had a contractual "first opportunity" to write the first sequel to the Joe Cobra movie if they were the sole writers. But they weren't. Stuart Beattie was also given a co-screenwriting credit.

Nevertheless, the two writers say that shortly after the premiere of the 2009 film, the defendant film companies asked them to present plotlines, themes, characters and more for a potential sequel "with the stated intent that the PDH Defendants would hire Plaintiffs to write the screenplay if they liked Plaintiffs' proposed Sequel."

Elliot and Lovett said that they did just that, and now after seeing their work allegedly taken without credit, they are seeking more than $23 million in damages for copyright infringement and breach of implied contract.

"These original inventions, which make Plaintiffs' Proposed Sequel a compelling piece of story-telling, have been stolen by the (defendants) in the hopes of infusing the Joe Retailiation Movie with the blockbuster power of Plaintiffs' Work."

The lawsuit says that when Elliot and Lovett saw the results of the 2009 movie, they were "shocked to see how completely the Joe Cobra Movie had departed from" their script.

As a result, when it came time to work on the sequel, the writers said they got more granular in their pitch, "presenting not just suggestions for possible storylines and character arcs but a comprehensive vision to completely reimagine the G.I. Joe franchise from the live-action films to the toy line."

The writers also say that more than 100 phone calls as well as emails detail the extent of their pitch over a two-month period.

On December 3, 2009, Elliot and Lovett say they were notified that the film companies had decided to engage a different writing team. Retaliation is credited to writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.

But the plaintiffs see their pitched ideas in the final film.

"Even the most cursory review of the Joe Retaliation Movie and the Plaintiffs' Work reveals that they are substantially similar in every material way," says the complaint. "While Plaintiffs make no claims to the elements of the Joe Retailiation Movie that are subject to Hasbro's pre-existing copyrights in the G.I. Joe characters, Plaintiffs take great issue with those elements of the Joe Retailiation Movie that are the expression of Plaintiffs' personal creativity and Plaintiffs' unique creation of Plaintiffs' Proposed Sequel that were not part of the Joe Cobra Movie and that were not scenes a faire of the genre."

The lawsuit goes into detail about how "nearly every aspect of the Joe Retailiation Movie, from the beginning to the end" incorporates their work and includes a side-by-side comparison of the similarities. The writers say it was their idea, among other things, to take the franchise "back to a simpler time, where the focus is less about high-tech wizardry and gadgetry and more about nostalgic, grounded characters."

The plaintiffs are represented by attorney Henry Gradstein. The lawsuit seeks at least $20 million in actual damages and at least $3 million in compensatory damages.

And it is completely frivolous. They plaintiffs do not even have standing. The "first opportunity" clause is contingent upon they being the sole writers of the script of the first film. Since they shared a screen writing credit with another writer, the "first opportunity" clause is null.

Moreover, had the defendants stolen the original inventions of the plaintiffs, then they would not be shocked by how much of a departure the sequel is to their proposed script. This admission itself undermines their entire case.

Furthermore, ideas are not copyrightable. If the plaintiffs proposed an idea and the defendants put it on film before they put it on paper, that is perfectly legal and perfectly fair.

What this really is is sour grapes. Their movie was a bomb, the studio chose another direction, and the sequel was a success. And now they want retaliation. See what I did there?

Furthermore, ideas are not copyrightable. If the plaintiffs proposed an idea and the defendants put it on film before they put it on paper, that is perfectly legal and perfectly fair.

QFT. Unless there's something in a contract that nobody's mentioned, this lawsuit is just a hope to get a cut of Retaliation's $350 million plus.

Copyright covers just the written words you put on the page. If they wrote a script that got used largely word for word, then they'd have a case. Arguing that you suggested characters and plot points that appeared in the film is a waste of time.

And it is completely frivolous. They plaintiffs do not even have standing. The "first opportunity" clause is contingent upon they being the sole writers of the script of the first film. Since they shared a screen writing credit with another writer, the "first opportunity" clause is null.

Moreover, had the defendants stolen the original inventions of the plaintiffs, then they would not be shocked by how much of a departure the sequel is to their proposed script. This admission itself undermines their entire case.

Furthermore, ideas are not copyrightable. If the plaintiffs proposed an idea and the defendants put it on film before they put it on paper, that is perfectly legal and perfectly fair.

What this really is is sour grapes. Their movie was a bomb, the studio chose another direction, and the sequel was a success. And now they want retaliation. See what I did there?

Agreed 100%, the sequel was a hit so they want to try to get a payday out of it. I doubt this goes anywhere

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As a big GI Joe fan I enjoyed this movie a lot and even more than Rise of Cobra (and I'm one of the few that actually liked Rise of Cobra ) Where the Transformers movies are declining in quality, (from what I've heard. I've never actually seen them) GI Joe is getting better. even if by a smidge, it's still more an improvement than Transformers' sequels have had.
I was bothered by a couple of plot holes but other than that, it was cool.

Originally Posted by Optimus Prime

I said this elsewhere, but I like Retaliation better than the first film. However, as a former soldier in the US Army, I highly despise the stupid rank and even military branch changes made in this movie. Sure, it's nitpicky, but when it comes to the Army and military stuff in general.

Lady Jaye was Army, not Navy and no damn officer either. And don't get me started on the completely unregulation hair when she was in her dress uniform at the end.

Flint was listed as an E-5 on one of the computer screens that showed the group, yet supposedly he's a W-3, and I'm sorry, but no Chief Warrant Officer 3 I've ever known was a green as the one shown in the movie. As such, Roadblock would have fallen under his command after Duke was killed.

And I never forgave them for making Duke an officer in the first place, but Tatum would never made sense as a 1st SGT anyway, he was too young.

I don't mind a stretch of the imagination and inexplicable abilities (like Flint's acrobatics in the movie) but there are things you just don't mess with.

Roadblock was a Sergeant Major? Then he sure as heck wouldn't have reported to a mere Captain. SGT MAJ is a battalion level or higher NCO post and as such would have dealt with a LT. COL or COL.

Well, aside from maybe the 12" military figures, GI Joe has never exactly been military accurate or realistic :P